


Shield Other

by ineffablenerd



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: 500 Words Challenge, Accidental Proposal, Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon Temporary Character Death, Denial of Feelings, M/M, Mixed feelings, RQG episode 174, shield other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28788690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineffablenerd/pseuds/ineffablenerd
Summary: Zolf finds a way to protect Wilde with his magic, but is it enough?
Relationships: Zolf Smith & Oscar Wilde, Zolf Smith/Oscar Wilde
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	Shield Other

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks Rome for always indulging me.

"Put this on." Zolf smacks the simple steel band on Wilde's desk the night before they leave for Hiroshima.

It's a Shield Other Spell. Zolf is already wearing the matching one. What ever hit Wilde takes, it will go directly to him. He can take it.

He has been pondering this for months. Wilde can barely defend himself without his magic. Bean pole that he is he can barely take a punch. And he's important. To the mission. Important to the mission. No one else has a grasp on as many of the moving pices as Wilde does and if he goes down because of some stray arrow that Zolf could have taken for him... He couldn't watch Wilde die. Not after all this time.

"What is it?" Wilde is playing with the ring, letting it slip through his fingers like a magic trick and for one moment Zolf sees Sasha before him, clear as day, doing the same with a small coin.

He blinks the imagery away. He couldn't protect her but he can protect Wilde.

"Just put it on." He sounds more gruff than intended. He doesn't want to explain himself.

"Oh _my_ Mr. Smith. And here I am daring to think our proposal would have been slightly more romantic than this."

Zolf can't help the blush spreading across his ears. Of course he'd make a joke out of this. Like Zolf hasn't been trying to figure out what he's feeling for months, even without the question of if Wilde would reciprocate, what ever he is feeling.

"It's not... _fine_ if that makes you put it on then sure." it doesn't matter he tells himself. It doesn't matter what Wilde thinks of him. It only matters that he's safe.

He can't look Wilde in the eye as he turns to leave the office, but he can feel the ring on his hand grow warm for a second as he puts it on.

"Don't take it off." He grits through his teeth as he passes through the door.

* * *

The engine is gone.

The stream of expletitives that leaves Zolf's mouth could keep a team of translators busy, or make a sailor blush. He rings the bell as he tries his best to keep the ship from crashing.

He's doing the best he can, if he knows anything that he is a damn fine sailor. If everyone just holds on they'll be _fine_.

He braces for impact.

Suddenly his hand grows burning hot and a searing pain through his chest brings him to his knees.

_Wilde_

With a small metallic _ping_ the ring breaks and falls into the rubble.

_No_

He knows what it means. There's only one thing this _can_ mean. And if that's true there's more pressing matters than looking for him, even if everything in him just wants to run. But he needs to stay. He needs to help the survivors. Help the one's he hasn't already failed to save.

He can find Wilde's body later.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this sitting around might as well post it. especially because I made it exactly 500 Words and I love that exact wordcount bullshit.
> 
> If you would like to know how this continues check out what Kat has done with it!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/28861296/chapters/70798593


End file.
